Sports Digest/ MEN'S HOCKEY: Needing only a draw against Munster in Hillsborough yesterday to be certain of retaining their senior interprovincial title, Ulster finished out the tournament in style, winning 5-1 to take their fourth title in five years, writes Mary Hannigan.
After the hosts had beaten Leinster 4-2 on Friday night, Munster's hopes of emerging as Ulster's chief challengers were all but ended on Saturday when they lost 2-0 to Leinster, with Alan Sothern and Justin Sherriff getting the goals.
Ulster, then, could even afford to lose 2-0 yesterday and still emerge triumphant, but they saw off Munster with ease, with Jonny Quigley, Eugene Magee (two), Andy Barbour and Steven Redpath on the scoresheet.
Senior interprovincial tournament (at Hillsborough) - Saturday: Leinster 2 (A Sothern, J Sherriff) Munster 0. Yesterday: Ulster 5 (J Quigley, E Magee 2, A Barbour, S Redpath) Munster 1 (R Gash).
Egan strikes gold in Finland
BOXING: Irish light-heavyweight Ken Egan won gold at the Tammer Senior Multi-Nations tournament in Finland yesterday following a resounding 81kg final win over Eeneli Katajisto.
Egan, from the Neilstown club in Dublin, beat the Finn 21-9 to finish on top of the podium in Tampere.
But Kilkenny middleweight Darren O'Neill had to pull out of yesterday's final with Australian Garroud Fletcher with a hand injury.
However, O'Neill, who beat Fletcher in the recent Ostrava Multi-Nations in the Czech Republic, will still take home silver.
St Michael's Athy featherweight Eric Donovan was disqualified from his quarter-final on Saturday after he floored Finn Jyri Maskali with a fractionally late punch after the referee had called break.
Meanwhile, European lightweight women's champ Katie Taylor withdrew from yesterday's Multi-Nations final in Billund, Denmark, because of a face injury.
Helsinki treble for O'Connor
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Cian O'Connor notched up an impressive hat-trick of wins at the Finnish fixture in Helsinki, but there was no joy for either O'Connor or compatriot Jessica Kürten in yesterday's World Cup qualifier, writes Grania Willis.
O'Connor had opened his account in Friday's opening speed class and then brought out the mare Zanoubia to win again on Saturday afternoon, before big wall specialist Casper gave the Co Kildare rider his third win when sharing the honours in the six-bar after he and Denmark's Linnea Ericsson went clear over six rounds.
But in yesterday's World Cup round, Kürten and Castle Forbes Libertina returned an eight-faulter and O'Connor also missed the cut for the timed decider with one fence down on Echo Beach.
Up at the new international fixture in Belfast, Billy Twomey won with both Anastasia and Whinnie Jackson.
Speers makes necessary point
WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Ulster's women made it a double for the hosts at the ESB senior interprovincial tournament at Hillsborough yesterday, with an equaliser 10 minutes from time giving them a 1-1 draw with Leinster in the final game of the day, enough to ensure they retain their title, writes Mary Hannigan.
Leinster got back in to contention in the tournament on Saturday, after being held to a draw by Munster on Friday, by beating Connacht 3-0, but they needed to beat Ulster yesterday to regain the trophy they lost in Garryduff last year.
Linda Caulfield's 12th-minute goal from a short corner gave them the early advantage but Ulster levelled from another corner, through Alex Speers, in the 60th minute.
Senior interprovincial tournament (at Hillsborough): Saturday: Leinster 3 (R Flinn, C Quinlan, C McKean) Connacht 0; Ulster 1 (J Lynch) Munster 0. Yesterday: Munster 0 Connacht 1 (E MacNicholas); Ulster 1 (A Speers) Leinster 1 (L Caulfield).
Collier Hill wins in Canada
RACING: Collier Hill, trained by Alan Swinbank and ridden by Dean McKeown, hung on to win a thrilling Canadian International at Woodbine in Toronto.
Michael Kinane was eighth on the John Oxx-trained Kastoria and said: "We missed the break and I bided my time. I was happy with her one minute but the next I wasn't and she faded out of it."
However, Collier Hill added further lustre to what is a glittering CV with a gutsy success in the prestigious race.
McKeown's mount chased Last Answer from the outset and was still going strongly turning for home. He picked up well and went clear, but John Velazquez gave chase on Go Deputy and was closing the gap with every stride. The pair were almost inseparable passing the line but it was the Alan Swinbank-trained gelding who got the nod, with Sky Conqueror in third.
Red Bloom finished a disappointing sixth in the Grade One EP Taylor Stakes.
Ponting leads award shortlist
CRICKET: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been nominated in four categories for this year's International Cricket Council (ICC) awards.
Ponting has been short-listed for the Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, one-day international Player of the Year and the new Captain of the Year awards for performances between August 2005 and this August.
The awards will be presented in Mumbai, India, early next month.
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who has tested positive for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone, is among four players nominated for the Emerging Player of the Year award. Asif and his pace partner Shoaib Akhtar were recalled from Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad in India after the positive tests.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told a news conference Asif was still eligible for the awards because his performances came before his doping offence.
